Coated fabric and process of making same



J. A. WILSON.

COATED FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, I919.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922,.

liw e PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. WILSON, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DURATEX COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COATED FABRIC AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,353.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN'A. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coated Fabrics and Processes of Making the Same, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in coated fabric and the process of making the same. It relates more particularly to coated fabrics which are known to the trade as artificial or imitation leather and which are formed by applying to a fabric base a suitable coating which after drying may be grained or embossed or otherwise finished, for instance so as to simulate the finish obtained on genuine leather.

' It has been customary heretofore to form coated fabrics of this type by applying a coating of the desired material directly to the surface formed on one side of the fabric base by the warp and weft threads'of which the body of the fabric base is formed, the adhesion of the surfaces of contact between the coating and the fabric being relied on to hold the coating attached to the fabric base. The strength of the attachment of the coating to the fabric formed in this manner is, however, limited by the degree of adhesiveness of the two juxtaposed surfaces and frequently is quite weak, or becomes weakened by subsequent changes in the character of the coating, to a point at which the coating tends to chip, scale, blister, peel, or otherwise separate from the base fabric, leavingexposed an unsightly, threadbare surface. The tendency of the coating and fabric to separate is particularly marked when the coated fabric is subjected to bending, flexing, creasing, or other surface strains which may exert a shearing or sliding action or puckering or stretching action between the coating and fabric and which thereby weaken or destroy the contact surfaces. The necessity of maintainin a rigid contact between the coating and fa ric also limits or prevents the flexibility, pliability, resiliency, feel and other valuable properties inherent in good genuine leather and which render genuine leather so valuable for many purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide, a coated fabric having a superior and stronger attachment between the coating and the fabric base than is commonly obtained through surface contact between said coating and said base.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coated fabric or artificial leather having a greater durability, pliability and resiliency than is obtained by purely surface con tact between said baseand said coating and similar in these respects to genuine leather.

A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide a coate fabric having a strong attachment between the body of the coating and the body of the fabric base, to'which the coating is applied, independent of the relation of the adjacent surfaces of said fabric and saidcoating.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coated fabric which is attached to a fabric base by threads or fibres secured to the coating and to the fabric base.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of making coated fabrics by which a coating may be attached to a base fabric independently of the adherin action between the opposed surfaces of sai fabric and said coating.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of making coated fabrics by which a coating may be attached to a base fabric by attachment extending into the bodies of the coating and the'fabric.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the method and product described in the following specifications and defined in the claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which is shown a greatly magnified cross sectional view of a coated fabric embodying a preferred form of the invention.

In the present invention the coating is attached to the body of the fabric by small threads or fibers distributed through the extent of the fabric and extending from within the body of the coating into the body or weave of the fabric base. The portion of the connecting or attaching threads or fibers extending into the coating are embedded and firmly anchored in the. body of the coating and the portion entering the fabric base is firmly secured in the fabric by being looped about or woven among or incorporated in the threads of the fabric base. In producing the coated fabric a fabric base having suitably attached threads on the side to be coated is utilized and a coating composition is applied to this surface in a fluid or semi-fluid or plastic state, in such a manner as to form a coating in which the projecting threads are embedded. The coating is thereupon hardened by evaporation of the solvent employed in making it fluid, or in any other manner suitable to the coating composition employed. Subsequent coatings maybe added to produce any desired type or character of fabric.

The fabric base may be made in any desired. manner by which the side to be coated may be provided with a large number of projecting threads or fibres secured to the fabric base and projecting a short distance above the surface of the base. In the preferred embodiment of the invention described in the present specification, the attaching or connecting fibres are formed in the fabric base by weaving or binding into the fabric, pile threads which extend above or are floated above the surface of the base. The pile threads may be of any suitable type and may be cut or uncut. The term pile fabric is used in the specification and claims to designate a fabric having a large number of threads which extend from the ground of the fabric in a direction at an angle or generally perpendicular thereto,

are woven or bound into the ground, as distinguished from a napped fabric in which the nap is raised by carding to combin up the fibres from the surface of the threads in the body of the fabric. The pile fabric therefore has a number of threads or fibres woven or otherwise bound in to the base of the fabric and having free portions raised or floated above the ground or body cloth to serve as an anchorage. The floating portions of the threads may be either cut or uncut, the cut pile being preferred.

he coating is applied to the pile in such a way that it covers the upper surface of the pile and the threads of the pile are imbedded and anchored in the coating.

Pile fabrics, as is Well known in the textile art, are produced by various methods of Weaving and may be divided into the following types: Velveteen or weft-pile fabric in which the pile-threads are floated on the face of a plain fabric and cut by hand or power, either in or out of the loom; warppile fabric in which the threads are looped around wires and cut by hand or power either in or out of the loom; and double pile fabric in which the pile-threads are floated between top and bottom back warps and are out either in or out of the loom. In some few instances pile fabrics are produced on hand-looms by a laborious method of inserting the pile loops manually; but the previouslyv described methods are those most generally used for commercial manufacture. Whenever the term pile fabric is employed or approaching a perpendicular direction thereto, and which in the present specification, therefore, it is to be understood that this term covers fabrics produced as above described, and wherein the pile is composed of threads woven or bound into the body or ground of the cloth and extending substantially perpendicularly thereto, as distinguished from a napped fabric in which the nap is raised by carding or combing up the fibers from: the surface of the threads in the body of the fabric. V

In the drawing, I have illustrated in a more or less conventional form a coated fabric constructed in accordance with my invention. In this drawing, the pile fabric F has the ground or foundation of the fabric, composed of the usual warp and weft threads I) and c. The pile threads 1) project substantially perpendicularly from the: ground of the fabric and are woven into and tied or anchored to the ground by looping the pile threads p around the weft threads in the ground of the fabric. pil'e may be either cut or uncut. The coating 0 is applied to this pile so that the pile is completely covered by the coating, and the pile threads 12 are imbeddedin the coating 0 in such a way that the v tie or anchor this coating to the fabric. may use velvet or velveteen as the base for my coated fabric and apply a. suitable coating composition tothe pile of the fabric by any suitable coating or spreading means such as are wellknown in this art. I have obtained very desirable results by the use of a coating composition composed of a solution of pyroxylin in a suitable solvent. The pigments which are needed to give the necessary color and finish to the coating may be added to this solution together with vegetable oil to give the desired flexibility and the evaporation of the solvent leaves a firm, flexible coating of pyroxylin, vegetable oil and pigment upon, and in the surface of the pile of the goods which are coated. The particular composition which I use for this coating forms no part of my present invention as I contemplate the use of any suitable coating composition. In place of using a. pyroxylin composition I may very welluse a suitable rubber compound for the coating composition and the desirable results will also be ob- This tained with the use of this composition.

After the coating has been applied and dried, it may be finished by graining or embossing as is well known in this art. The fabric used as a base should be so selected with reference to the length of pile as to give the best results. The coating covers the upper surface of the pile and should extend substantially to the ground of the fabric. The pile should not be too long or the coating will either be too thick or will be spaced so far from the ground of the fabric that the desired results will not be ob tained.

The coating is applied to the fabric in a fluid, semifluid or plastic state by spreadin it over the pile or floating threads, and I may employ any suitable means or apparatus for this purpose as generally used in the art. The usual process is to feed the fabric beneath a doctor blade to which the coating compound is supplied from a trough or tank. The cloth is passed beneath the doctor and then to a suitable drying room Where the coating is hardened or set by being subjected to the drying action of heat from steam pipes; the operation being successively repeated if desired, to apply several coats to the fabric. 4

My present improved process is not limited to the use of any particular type or style of weaving for the pile fabric, since it may be applied to any true ile fabric of the character herein describe to obtain the results desired. For instance, with a pile fabric of the type shown in the accompanying drawing, where the pile threads are bound by single ground threads, the coating will be held as securely as with more complicated weaves, since both ends of each pile loop are anchored in the coating. Moreover, the same beneficial results may be obtained by applying the coating to a terry pile in which the pile loops are left uncut, or to any other type of ground cloth having threads'bound into its body and floating above its surface.

The pile fabric used for the ground or base'of my improved product is selected in accordance with the type of coated goods to be produced. Where several coats are to be applied to the fabric the pile should be longer than when only a relatively thin coating is used. I have found also that the best resultsare obtained by using a fabric with a fairly thick pile and with the pile threads of a length so proportioned tothe thickness or depth of the coating that the coating material will not penetrate into the body of the cloth. That is to say, it is desirable to support the coating free of the ground threads in the body of the cloth so that there may be a slight give or creep between the coating layer and its base or foundation. In this way the pile of'the fabric is caused to function as a yieldable cushion or mat for the coating whereby the latter may flex freely, independently of the ground. In other words,the coating is permitted to ride or creep surfaoewise of the firmer fabric backing whereby to give a greater suppleness and pliability to the finished material. It is this suppleness and springy quality which gives the feel to enuine leather, making it more resilient an soft to the touch, and generally more liant in bending and folding. It is also ue primarily to this superficlal softnem and sup-p-leness of natural leather that it is capable of resisting hard Wear on its surface, and continued flexing copending 350,981, or by singeing as described in co- 180 I have found that the use of a pile fabric as the base for a coated fabric such as described results. in very important advantages. The resulting product is far superior toany coated fabric or artificial or imitation leather on the market. It is well known that the defect of practically all coated fabrics and artificia or imitation leathers is that the coating, being merely a surface coating, has a tendency to blister and to crack and peel from the fabric to which it is applied. Heretofore it has been impossible to remedy this defect. I find that by the use of a pile fabric as a base the coating is tied or anchored to the fabric so firmly that it will not crack and peel no matter how severe the handling to which it is subjected. I find also that artificial leather produced in this way has the feel of genuine leather and-I believe this to be due to the fact that the pile to which the coating is applied acts more or less as a cushion between the coating and the ground of the fabric, with the result that the prodnot has the soft, springy feel of real leather. I wish it to be understood that I contemplate, as within the broad scope of my invention, the use of any desired coating composition and that I am not restricted to the use of a pyroxylin or rubber compound. I have spoken of the application of a coating of this composition to the fabric and by this I mean to include the complete coating, no matter whether it is applied in one coat or by means of several coats successively applied. Wherever in this specification and claims I refer to a pile fabric, I mean a fabric in which there is a pile composed of a plurality of threads bound or woven into the ground or base of the fabric and extending substantially perpendicular thereto as distinguished from a napped fabric on which a fibrous nap has been raised, for instance, by carding or combing up the fibers from the surface of the threads in the body of the fabric.

The invention in its broaderaspect, however, is not limited to pile fabrics of the type indicated above except in those claims in which pile fabrics are specifically designated but all terms are to be given as broad an interpretation as is consistent with the context with which they are used. In the present specification the claims not limited in terms to pile fabrics are to be .consldered generic to pile fabrics and to short napped fabrics or napped fabrics shortened by shearing as described in the application, Serial Number pending application, Serial Number 484,7 86 or to fabrics otherwise suitably-woven or treated in a manner suggested by the present specification.

The free, extending portions -of these threads or fibres are short and therefore have'an upstanding or bristling appearance, although they may not necessarily have any greater stiffness than the other threads or fibres of the fabric.

I am aware that the. particular embodiment of m invention, which I have shown and described here, is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit thereof and, therefore, I desire to claim the same broadly, aswell as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

l. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric substantially continuously coated on the pile side of the fabric with one or more coatings of a suitable coating composition.

2. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric having a substantially continuous coating of suitable composition applied to the pile of the fabric and of such thickness to cover the upper surface of said pile and extend substantially to the ground of the fabric. i

3. A coated pile fabric comprising a ground having a plurality of threads pro jecting upwardly from and; tied to said ground and a substantially continuous coating of suitable composition in which said projecting threads are embedded.

4. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric and a substantially continuous coating applied to the pile of the fabric, said coating containing pyroxylin.

5. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric and a substantially continuous coating containing a cellulose ester applied to said fabric so that the pile of said fabric is imbedded in saidcoating.

6. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric and a substantially continuous cellulosic coating carried by and anchored to the pile of said fabric.

7 A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric and asubstantially continuous pyroxylin coating applied to the pile of said fabric and of sufficient thickness to cover the upper surface of' said pile and extend substantially to the ground of the fabric.

8. The process of making coated fabrics comprising applying a suitable continuous coating to the pile of a pile fabric.

9. The process of making coated fabrics comprising applying a suitable substan-' tially continuous coating to the pile of a pile fabric so as to cover the surface of said pile and extend substantially to the ground of fabric.

- and projecting 10. A coated fabric comprising a pile fabric having a substantially continuous flexible coating a plied to and carried by the pile of said fabric.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a coated material comprising a fabric having pile threads floating above its body, and a substantially continuouscoating of suitable composition overlying said fabric with the floating threads embedded in the coating to anchor .it to the fabric.

12. A coated material comprising a ground pile fabric having threads bound into its body thereabove, and a substantially continuous coating of composition overlying the ground with the projecting threads embedded in the coating to anchor it to the fabric.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a coated material comprising a fabric ground having certain of-its threads bound under other threads and floated above the body of the fabric, and asubstantially continuous coating of composition overlying the body of the fabric with the floating threads embedded therein to anchor the coating to the fabric. 4

14. As a new and improved article of manufacture, a coated material comprising a pile fabric having pile threads projecting above its ground or body, and a substantially continuous coating of suitable composition overlying said fabric with the pile threads embedded therein to anchor it to the ground.

15. As a new article of manufacture, a coated material comprising ai pile fabric having pile threads incorporated in its weave and projecting substantially perpendicularly from its body, and a substantially continuous coating of composition permeating the pile to anchor it to the fabric.

16. As a new article of manufacture, a coated material consisting in a pile fabric comprising a ground or body of warp and weft threads and having pile threads enmeshed therewith and raised above the ground, and a substantially continuous coating of compound overlying the ground with the pile threads embedded therein to anchor it to the fabric.

17. That process of manufacturing coated materials which consists in coating a fabric having pile threads floating above its body, with a suitable compound in sufficient quantity to embed said floating threads and form a substantially continuous coating.

18. That process of manufacturing coat ed materials which consists in coating a ground or backing of pile fabric havin certain of its component threads raise above its body, with a suitable coatingin sufficient quantity to embed said raised pors a new article of manufacture, a

tions in a substantially continuous coating.

19. A coated fabric comprising a fabric base, a substantially continuous coating, and threads secured in said fabric base and having short free bristling portions extending outwardly from said base and embedded in said coating.

20. A .process of making coated fabrics which comprises applying a cellulosic coating to the pile of a pile fabric and causing said coating to penetrate and embed the pile of said fabric in a substantially continuous coating.

21. A process of making coated fabrics. which comprises forming a pile of threads anchored in the base fabric and having portions extending a short distance above said ground fabric, and coating and embedding said extending portions to a substantial extent with a substantially continuous coating.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOHN A. WILSON. 

